Leave Yesterday Live for today
by Stubbs101
Summary: Set in the modern times, An Assassin left, leaving a lot of very angry people behind. How will he deal when they start to catch up. Especially when he's been lying to his closest friends, Kenshin OOC, slightly Dark, Chapter 7 up to make up for chapter 6
1. Chapter 1

I don't own squat. Excepted maybe the plot. I hope.

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As the bullet slammed into my thigh knocking me to the ground I couldn't help but think that my life had taken another distinct turn for the worst. My bar was dark and this late at night, any people outside wouldn't hear the sound of the suppressed gunfire anyway.

"No smart comments this time Mr Battosai"

Another soft "_tick_" from his gun another flash of pain. I had to stay conscious! I had to get behind the bar! The man stood there laughing at me. Two feet to go. One foot to go. My vision was blurring.

"What's the matter Mr Battosai? Not enjoying being on the receiving end?" The man said as he walked behind me.

He shot twice more. This time, not aiming to hit me, but to smash the optics above the bar. Sending alcohol and glass showering over me. It hurt almost as much as getting shot in the first place.

My hand scrabbled for what I knew was hidden under the bar. I had to find it!

"As much as I've enjoyed meeting you Battosai I feel that we must part ways."

My hand found metal! I grasped the handle of the gun and freed the safety.

"Good bye, Mr Battosai" The man said, raising his gun to perform the cu-de-gars.

"The name, is Kenshin!" I pulled the trigger. The glock fired from its hiding spot under the bar, hitting the man in the ankle. Forcing him to the floor. The second shot ensured he wouldn't get up again.

Dragging myself up against the bar and assesses my injuries. Gunshot wound to the leg, in and out missing the bone. Painful but treatable, guess I won't be walking without help for a while. A second shot in the shoulder and ... no exit wound. That was bad. I couldn't go to a hospital because it would be reported, and I didn't have the money to pay for a more ... private doctor. Looking around for something to use as a bandage I saw the tea towels I used for polishing the glasses. With a bit of electrical tape for strapping they became a serviceable field dressing.

Since my life was no longer in immediate danger I took stock of what happened. I had been locking up, when a blow came from behind knocking me back trough the door. I sighed to myself, that had been sloppy. Time was no one could have gotten within ten feet of me without me knowing. Still, when I said I was out I meant it. I just didn't realise how hard that would be.

I glanced at the slowly cooling body. I didn't know him. That was disturbing because he knew me. I'd have to search him, and that meant moving, which would painful. Still, might as well get it over with.

His pockets were empty, save for a spare clip for his gun and a photo of me, ... a recent photo of me ... DAMN! On the back, there was my hated nickname, my real name, and the address of my bar. I sat down for a wile and considered my options. At least it meant I could stop dyeing my hair, I never liked the black anyway.

I was in no position to drive and I needed out in a hurry. I made a phone call to a man that I hoped would consider me as a friend. I just prayed he wasn't drunk or fighting. Either way I'd have to think of a story to explain this mess really quickly. Although I think the story of nice barman just went out the window. It was a shame. I liked being humble and even for a bit.

But before all that, I still had to deal with Mister Smith on the floor. I figure out of sight, out of mind, so behind the bar it was.

--- --- ---

The door banged open five minuets later "KEN! Where are you!" Sano never did know how to enter a room quietly. I lowered the silenced weapon and hid it behind my back. My own gun was concealed under my coat on my hip.

"Over here" I said "behind you"

Sano spun round, "Jesus Kenshin, you gave me a heart attack! What are you doing behind the door?"

I felt that telling him "so I could shoot uninvited guests in the back" would not be a good plan so I when for "I didn't want to bee seen."

"Well that's a good thing. What happened here? You said you were shot. Why didn't you call the police?" Sano said as he looked at the smashed glass and the blood smears along the floor.

I figured that the nearer the truth I was the more believable the lie would be therefore "I was attacked by a man with a gun."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I was locking up and I was hit on the back of the head. He shot me as I got to the gun I keep behind the bar."

"You have a gun? Never mind that why don't you want to go to the cops?"

Again, another near truth. "I'm not here ... legally"

"What happened to the guy? There's a lot of blood here."

And now for an out right lie. "I don't know, I think he ran off." And a quick change in topic "Can we get out of here Sano, I'll deal with the mess tomorrow." Not the most original conversation but the best I could do at short notice at short notice. Besides leaning against the wall was making me feel faint with pain.

"Sure my car's outside"

I went to take a step forwards and collapsed as my leg bucked,

"Ken!"

Sano grabbed my arm as I went down and I managed to hold back a cry from the pain in my shoulder.

"Jesus Ken, when you said you were shot you said it was a graze!"

No point lying now, the blood was soaking through my clothing. "Leg and shoulder. Please, just get me to the car."

I lent on Sano to his car, an old beat up ford pickup that was kept running by love and rust. "you know this would be easier if you were taller Ken." Sano said as he held me. "We could almost look like a couple"

"Don't start that again." I said with a rye smile. While behind my bar I had been hit on five times by guys mistaking my gender and twice by guys mistaking my preference, much to Sano's amusement. The topic broke the ice between us. Sano had been coming in regularly for weeks and saying nothing to anyone save to order his drinks when he saw two heavily drunk men wander in and begin to chat me up. Back when I was known as the Battosai, I would just glare at them and that would send them hopping, but as a bartender, I couldn't exactly threaten instant death. I was at a loss.

Sano watched with growing amusement at my inability to cope before finally stepping in with the immortal words. "She's spoken for." To which the guys, under his six foot gaze, finally backed down.

You can't really be saved by that and not get talking. I am ashamed to say that most of the stuff I told him was a lie, but, as I said before, The closer to the truth, the better the lie. He, on the other hand, had told me that he had been a drifter for most of his life, dropping out of collage due to finical issues, and until he came to town worked as a hired hand, bouncer, or inforcer, what ever was required. He'd offered his services to me a few times when the bar looked like it was about to get rowdy.

He was as close to a friend as I allowed myself and, right now, was my only means of getting out of my former bar and out of town.

But first, as I hissed in pain, I had to deal with these bloody bullet wounds!

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Thanks for reading There is more if you what it. Hope you enjoyed. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again, First off, thanks for pointing out the spelling error in the title. It was quite embarrassing. It's been corrected, If you guys spot anymore, point them out. Still don't own much, except the plot. I think. 

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My thoughts drifted as I slouched in Sano's car. I'd eventually persuaded him to not call an ambulance by making light of my wounds, brushing them off for the time being. I don't think he bought it for a second, but that didn't matter at the moment. The most pressing matter on mind was "did this man have friends?" I didn't know the answer therefore I had to assume yes, Hell, I didn't even know if he was a professional so again I would have to assume yes, (If only for my pride).

Ideally all this summed up to getting out of town, now. I'd done it before, even when I knew I was off the deep end. But, I had never attempted to do it this injured. Then again I'd never been so completely ambushed before. It was turning into a day of firsts for me.

Anyway, step one, see if I was being watched. Therefore, when Sano caught me glancing at the mirrors for the tenth time in the minute, he was bound to get suspicious.

"Ken. What are you worried about? You said the guy ran. Why would he follow us?"

"Probably nothing." I said. Sano just frowned and turned his attention back to the road.

"Listen, I'm not taking you back to your place, first off I don't know where you live, and second I'm not leaving you alone. I'm not having you bleed to death on my conscience."

"What?" I said, genuinely puzzled and then saw that the blood was now marking his seat. "Ah. Thank you." This too, drew a glance from him, Thinking back I would normally brushed off any act of kindness with an apology or a silly joke, I suppose that it shows how much the day had rattled me. Sano's offer did, however, solve the problem of going back to my house, a big no-no if you think your being targeted. Still, I was dragging Sano further and further into my world, and I didn't wish that on anyone.

--- --- --- ---

I had never been to Sano's house before, therefore it came as a shock when we pulled up outside a rundown apartment at the edge of town. I don't know what I expected, but this place looked like it hadn't been lived in.

"Common, welcome to Chaz de Sano," He said with a smile as he lifted me out, bridal style and carried me to the door. With a boot he kicked it open, I asked "Don't you worry about being burgled?" in amazement.

"What, here?" Sano replied with a laugh, "Who would burgle this place, I've got nothing of value anyway." He said as he swept his arm over the discarded bear cans and empty takeaway boxes. I was beginning to think that maybe it would have been worth going to my place just for the sanitary conditions.

He put me down on his couch after he'd kicked a small pile of, what I hoped were, empty chicken buckets.

My wounds were now a dull throb as opposed to white-hot pain, with blood seeping out of both. I needed a surgeon's help soon, I didn't dare change the padding I had on already.

"Listen Ken, about those wounds, I know a place were you can go..."

"I'm not going to a hospital." I said, feeling that it was becoming a mantra.

"No, No it's not a hospital. It's one of the ... private clinics for people who would rather not get seen more nosy people. They've got the nicest doctor with the sweetest..."

"If they're good, then I can't afford them." I said cutting Sano off before he lost himself talking about the girl he moons over at the bar. If I didn't know better I would say Sano had masochistic tendencies when it came to women. I was also beginning to wonder how shady some of Sano's jobs had been to know places like that. I'd been in this town for three years and I didn't know if this town had a clinic like that. Let alone more than one, having said that I had been making every effort to blend into the crowd, the last thing I needed was to be recognised by someone of the darker community.

"Don't worry about paying, It's one of the bouncing jobs I do, free of charge, in return, they patch me up afterwards."

I couldn't believe my luck, things never work out this neat. "Why are you doing all this for me?"

At this Sano gave me an odd look, "because you're my friend"

"Oh," was all I managed to say before my body, deciding it had taken enough blood loss thank-you very much, decided to shut down.

--- --- ---

I woke up,

I appeared to be still in Sano's apartment, if the smell of pizza was anything to go by. I glanced around, I was wearing only my boxers in what I guessed was his bedroom, some sort of improvised saline drip attached to my arm and new dressings on my wounds. There was light coming in through the windows therefore at least seven hours had past I needed to...

CRASH

Next door! My senses exploded two people? Fighting each other. I was up and moving. Pain shot through my leg as I put weight on it. Swords, Where are my swords! I'd buried them, in that case improvise. A handy bedside lamp, use it under arm like a baton, it would have to do. I silently opened the door, and charge through, fast, quiet, take stock of the situation. And I found... Sano, hiding behind his couch with an enraged woman throwing pizza boxes at him? Not quite the professional hit I expected.

"Calm down! Megumi! I forgot! I'm sorry please, I'm sorry!"

"You will be Sagura Sanoski! Three hours we waited for you. Three whole hours!" They hadn't noticed me, I hadn't lost it I though to myself as I quietly dropped the lamp.

This new woman was fisty! She was wearing simple jeans and a T-shirt combo that somehow she still looked immaculate. When she ran out of pizza boxes she turned around and finally saw me. I put on my best most friendly grin I could.

"YOU, What are you doing out of bed!"

I must say that I felt like a child with my hand in the cookie jar under her stair

"Err..." saying I was up to protect Sano from possible assassins was not going to win friends, however kind my intentions, "I heard banging?"

"Well, you shouldn't be moving for at least two weeks, you defiantly need to stay off that leg. How did you end up getting shot?" Megumi asked

"My bar was robbed, it apparently went wrong" I responded, wincing as I pulled my hair back into it's usual ponytail, and froze as they stared. Realised that I was still in my boxers I felt a blush start. Damn, I made a tactical retreat through the bedroom door closing it behind me but not before hearing a quiet "ho ho ho" in the background.

--- --- ---

Later, having redressed my wounds which, to my surprise, had been stitched and were healing, and wearing more suitable clothing. Well, Sano's clothing (I looked like I'd been shrunk in the wash). I'd reappeared to find that the fox woman, as I now though of her on the couch with Sano, still in hot debate, although nothing was being thrown.

"You should have called us. We were sat outside the club waiting for you to pick us up for hours. Karou ended up called a cab in the end, I was so embarrassed."

"Well, I told you I wasn't lying, my friend had been shot. Anyway it was..."

"About your friend, is he really a barman?"

I felt that I should make my presence know. cough both heads snapped up

"Ken!" Sano said his face lighting up, and then with the beginnings of a smirk, said, "you look like a kid!"

"Thank-you Sano, that makes me feel all the better." I said with a frown.

"You still should be lying down. As a doctor, I don't know how you are up." Megumi managed to say while trying not to laugh. So I could use Sano's T-shirt as a dress, it wasn't that funny in my opinion.

"Listen, could you to stop snickering for a minute, what day is it?"

"You've been unconscious for a week." Megumi said. "Why Sano wouldn't let me take you to a proper hospital I will never know. I had to improvise" A quick glance to Sano confirmed that he hadn't said anything about what had happened, just who I "was".

I figured the same story would work; hospitals report gun shot wounds, deportation, and so on. She seemed to take this on faith. It turned out later that it wasn't an uncommon story for Asians around this aria, lucky me. But a week had past! If there were more killers gunning for me I could forget about using my house or my bar. Hell in a week cops would probably know about the body behind the counter!

The more I thought, the worse my situation got. Sano was listening to Megumi giving him instructions on how to care for me now I was awake as he showed her to the door. I had to get out of the state, or get to that body first.

I was planning my next moves in my head when Sano called out.

"Ken, no playing now, what are you doing with these?"

I looked up. To say what I saw didn't it gave me pause would be a lie. He was holding two guns, the silenced weapon of "Mister Smith," and my own personal equaliser. I had forgotten, It had been a week, they would have to have removed my clothes to get at my wounds. Oh crap! That would mean they had seen the scars!

Both Sano and Megumi would recognise the scars of stab wounds and gunshot grazes. I don't care what people say about me, you cannot do what I did for as long as I did without getting hurt. You simply weren't allowed time off for illness. You carried on regardless, I learnt from others what happened if you continued to lead that life. It was part of the reason why I'd left. That and...

I wasn't ready to think on her yet, four years and I still wasn't ready. I looked from the guns to Sano trying to judge him. He knew that a silence weapon was serious. No point insulting his intelligence, he'd taken a chance and not told the fox, I'll take a chance and trust him too, he did make the first move after all.

"It wasn't a burglary."

"Really? I would never have guessed," he said as he swung the silenced weapon from side to side.

"It was a hit."

"On you?"

"Yes"

I glanced to the floor. A week had passed, my red roots would be showing, cross-shaped scar on my face. Short, blood red hair, cross-shaped scar, only one "demon" fitted that description. I waited for the yell of recognition. And tensed myself to dodge the bullets, I could go out the window. The silenced pistol had nine shots left mine had ten. There was no way in hell I was hurting Sano. Start again in California, I heard it's an easy place to get lost in.

I was still running options of exit strategies in my head when Sano sigh and say, "You need any help?"

He doesn't know, I thought, He can't know. No one would say that to the Battosai, the soulless killer, as certain as death himself. I just looked at him open-mouthed.

"What, we've been fiends for three years, you think I don't have secrets too?"

Still open-mouthed, reboot brain. He trusts me? Maybe he was an idiot after all.

We sat in silence for awhile, Eventuality I asked him "do you know of any building sites with wet concrete near by?"

"Why?" he said glancing at me

"I need to destroy my gun and that silencer."

He went quiet for a moment, "Did that guy get away like you said?"

I closed my eyes and looked at the ceiling "No"

"Did anything of that night go down like you said?" Sano asked, with anger in his voice

I looked at him allowing some hardness to set in, "I didn't tell you that the blood on the floor was mine as I dragged myself to the gun behind the bar, while he laughed at me." I paused "I didn't even know who he was."

There was another pause, Sano reached into his pocket and handed me something, "I think this is yours. I got it out of your pocket" It was the picture, with my real name and bar address on the back. I looked up "So, you knew I was lying about the robbery, and my name since that night." I said, wondering why he hadn't tossed me out the minute I woke up. "Who else knows?"

"No one" he said, looking a bit affronted,

"Sorry" I said, "It's hard for me to trust anyone," I said looking at the floor.

"Megumi suspects you're not a barkeep, she's worked with lots of wounds before and saw your scars."

"Is she the same girl that you keep talking about at the bar every other night?" Sano looked stunned then stuttered, I cut him off with a hand. "Now that I've met her, I can tell you that; one, you're in love with her, nobody would take that much abuse if they weren't, and two, she definitely likes you, no one would put up with your stupidity for that long if they didn't at least like you."

We went quiet again.

"What you going to do now?" He asked. I thought for a second. "First, I need to take care of the guns. Second, find out who is still after me, and if possible why. Third, I need to see about the body in the bar."

"HE'S IN THE BAR!" Sano shouted!

I looked at him, "Of course he is, where the hell else would he be, I couldn't stand up, let alone dispose of the body."

"Where...? Where was it?" Sano said, hesitantly. "Behind the bar." I said eyeing my friend closely.

It went quiet again. It was a lot to take in. I didn't want to loose my friend so early on.

"Listen. I can do this by myself, You don't have to help. I never wanted to get you mixed up in all this, I just had ... no one else to call." I looked down.

He smiled, "No you can't, Meg said no heavy lifting" That was worth a chuckle

--- --- ---

"Now what?" Sano said as we watched the guns sink into the concrete.

"Now, we do something that we should not be doing under any circumstances." I said "Returning to the scene of the crime." I paused, it had been a week, I looked at Sano "We're going to need masks."

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I think I'll leave it here for today, I've written this on the train ride home. What do you guys think? Hopefully not too many spelling mistakes. See you next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, and welcome back to the crazy world of Stubbs. Thanks to all you who've put up with my bad spelling and grammar and this appalling wait between chapters. I hope the plot is still interesting, as we delve deeper into the world of Ken, I'm hoping to pick up the pace a bit in this chapter, Read and enjoy.

Still don't own ken, still think the plots new, well, a new take on an old story.

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I had Sano drive passed the bar six time before I was certain it was clear to approach. Even then, I had him stay in the truck as I walked past, the last thing I wanted for him to get caught up in a sting operation by the police or otherwise.

I glanced into the bar through the window, and cursed myself for having smoked glass. I couldn't see anything, the inside was still dark, the only way I was going to know was to go in. But I was damned if it was going to be the front door. It was mid afternoon, and there were people wandering about, I did not need a curious onlooker seeing the scene inside.

I went around the back to the loading area. There was a back door but I didn't intend to use it, the pile of empty kegs for collection was stacked next to the wall and it unintentionally gave me access to the roof, and therefore the skylights. After a rickety clime I was lying on the roof looking through at the scene below.

The backroom looked clear, I'd have to clime onto the street side roof if I wanted to see into the bar and this would expose me to the public, and it would be embarrassing if the police were called due to someone who was stuck on the roof. The risk wasn't worth it. I briefly wondered if it was breaking and entering if I owned the building under a false name as I dropped to the floor.

The place was silent. There was no sign that anything had been disturbed. I wandered through to the bar area with my sensors stretched to the limit. Nothing, the place was empty, and surprisingly fresh smelling. From past experience a week old body should have forced me to use the mask in my pocket, the smells were far from pleasant.

I turned the corner of the bar and found out why the air was so clear. The body was gone. This didn't bode well. Up against the front door of my bar I saw a device attached to the handle. By the looks of it, probably was an improvised bomb from a hand grenade.

A slip of paper lay in a pool of dried blood where the body had been,

_It seems we are still cleaning up your messes Battosai. We'll assume you weren't stupid enough to get caught buy our "gift." We'll see you again soon, be sure that you look after you're oh so helpful" friends." It would be such a shame for anything to happen to them._

I looked at the note again. They'd caught up, I figured they would eventually you couldn't run from an organisation like the Choshu forever. I had hoped that this would have been avoided, or that the man had been acting alone, it would have made my life easier. Ha, when had anything ever gone my way.

Well, there was no point hanging around here with no body to take care of and nothing that was incriminating save for the bomb and bloodstain. I left through the back door, but not before removing the fuse and pocketing the grenade. I didn't want anyone getting killed by accident. That was another reason I left, collateral damage does NOT mean acceptable damage in my books.

-- -- --

Sano was surprised when I asked him to head back, I filled him in on the drive home, including the letter, as well as the threat. It goes without saying it was a quiet trip back to his home.

We got back and Sano went to his fridge a retrieved two beers, throwing me one as I crashed on his couch, He joined me a moment later.

"So, what do you do now?" He said after he'd downed most of his can.

"Normally?" I asked glancing up from my own beer, "I'd disappear, start over somewhere new." I sighed, it was still my plan, but I couldn't leave Sano and his doctor, in this mess. I didn't know what the Choshu would do. But on past records it wouldn't be nice, especially if they were now linked with me. I had left few friends behind in that group and many hurt feelings with fellow assassins who all wanted my spot.

"I need information." I said more to myself than Sano. "I need to know who and how many they sent after me," There was a pause, _I need my swords_ I thought to myself. I turned to Sano,

"It would be best if you and Megumi distanced yourself from me. They'll probably leave you alone if you do." I said to Sano. It was more of a hope than a fact, I thought to myself, but if it worked it would be worth it, I'd loose a good friend in Sano and a possible friend in Megumi.

"Do you think you can loose me that easily?" Sano asked

"Not really," I smiled into my beer, "especially if the way you keep after Megumi is any indication."

Sano splutter mumbling something, as I took another swig from my can. I started thinking about how much information they had on my "friends." I tried out the word. I'd never really had friends before, companions or allies yes but never friends. I never trusted anyone enough. Then again, I don't remember being that badly injured before. No that's not true, I just don't remember anyone really caring about it before.

But this was beside the point, I'd spent a week out of the world. Who knew what information the Choshu had gathered. I pondered if it would be easier in the long run to persuade Sano and Megumi to leave the country. Ha, I knew Sano had a stubborn streak and Meg seemed to be just the same. Still, first things first. Get armed, having destroyed both guns, I was left with a defused grenade. Second, warn Megumi about her new statues as a target for the Choshu. Third, ... Do something about the whole situation. How? I don't know, I'm sure something will come up,… I hope.

-- -- --

The something turned up sooner than I hoped. It had been an hour since Sano had left for his room, and I had made myself conformable against a wall, (old habits and that) when, on the edge of my hearing a scraping coming from the door to the apartment. Someone was trying to break in. I quietly stood up and moved towards the door. Standing behind it I considered my options, if there was only one person I could disable him. More than one, I'll have to kill the first and improvise with what he was carrying. I hoped it wasn't a gun, I wanted this to be quiet.

The scraping continued, they were obviously having problems with the lock. That in it's self was funny, I figured if you poked the door in the right place the lock would fall out.

Click

I tensed, the door quietly opened outward with a slight creek, there was only one sound of breathing. That was good, a shadow was cast across the doorway, wait for it ,.. NOW!

I lashed out around the corner, grabbing the person by the arm and around the back of the neck, swinging them through the doorway and into the wall beside me.

A swift blow to the back of the head and voila, one unconscious assassin. One small unconscious assassin… One small unconscious assassin kid? Ah, time to wake up Sano, I think I've just screwed up.

-- -- --

"Jesus, Yahiko, what happened?" Sano hadn't been amused to be woken up after just falling asleep, and especially not at the sight of the kid, unconscious on his sofa.

Yahiko, the kid in question, sat with an ice pack on his head just looked stunned, "I don't know, I was trying to get in to ask you about where Kaoru is, I'd lost the key and was opening your door when something hit me.

Sano glanced in my direction, I looked guiltily at the ceiling. "You should be more careful, especially when breaking and entering, it can get you killed." I said, trying not to seem too guilty.

The kid seemed to see me for the first time "Who the hell are you!" he cried and pointed.

"This is Kenshin, he's a mate." Sano said, dismissing me and rounded on Yahiko "More importantly, what happened to Joe-san!"

The kid looked worried "I don't know, She didn't come home last night. She's been acting kind of funny last week too." There's people coming to her Dojo who I don't recognise, and I haven't seen you or the doctor around for days. I don't know what to do."

Yahiko looked distraught. I could see he'd been under strain for a wile, and he didn't know what to do.

I realised that my problems had further consiquenceses that mealy Sano and Meg. If I could help this kid I would. Another thing to do before leaving. This was getting difficult.

-- -- --

We'd left Yahiko to recover on the sofa and retired to the kitchen where Sano, deciding that he was up for the rest of the night got another beer out of the fridge. "You know," I said "If you drank this much at my bar I could have retired early" He smiled "your prices were always too expensive" he seemed to consider for a moment "and until recently, you were rather dull." He frowned "How much of this is the real you? I've known you for years. Was any of that real?"

I sat, silent for a minuet, "I only lied about my past. You can't run from it and tell people about it."

"Thing is, I've heard about a man with that scar and red hair." Sano said, "I've heard nothing good about him. They say he was the devil in human form."

Well, it was fun while it lasted, I had hoped that Sano hadn't heard about the Battosai. And assumed that it was just dirty. It was a bit of a long shot. My work was well documented, for four years politicians and key players were found dead across the world. Many of them were considered untouchable. Cuban Crime lords in there own homes. Politcans under house arrest, merchants on trains, people in cells, under proceeded custody, at airports, on boats, and once in a nuclear fallout bunker. Nobody was safe from the demon of the night. All that was left other than the sword wounds was a note in red "_Heavens Justice_" The only link between any of them was that they crossed the Choshu.

"I know I said that we all had secrets but yours is huge" Sano said, and then with a slight smile. "I'm mates with the devil himself, that's a laugh." Sano said chuckling to himself "I've seen you get flustered when girls bat their eyes at you in your bar."

And just like that, Sano's doubt was gone. He was remarkable. It was at this point I figured that before I left, I'd help Sano out with what ever had happened to Kaoru, whoever she was, I just hoped it wasn't because to me.

I'd heard Kaoru's name before, while Sano was at my bar but I'd never met her. Much like Megumi, they were names without faces in my book, I remember thinking often that he used my bar as a retreat at times as a place to lay low when he was in the dog house with either of the two women.

This all was of course if I could through the Choshu off my trail. And a plan was beginning to form.

I just needed a source of information for a bit of old-fashioned misinformation. That was a job for tomorrow. Assuming Yahiko didn't have a concussion.

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Well, I now have a plan for this story. Is it worth continuing? Btw all this was written on trains going to and from home. Weird isn't it also helps to explain away the shortness of the chapter (sorry).

See ya next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Welcome back to the world of Stubbs. Thanks to the people who review, Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Another chapter written on a train trip (Normally the trains are quite good in England but this 5 hour trip I could have driven in 2:30. It's just taking the mikky! Commuting sucks)

I don't own Ken, nuff said.

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The light seeped into Sano's house like a tide slowly illuminating the gloom. I had slept with my back to the wall in the living room while Yahiko still occupied the couch. I checked the time, 6:30am. Too early for Sano, but I rather liked the morning. Everything is new and fresh, at least normally. Looking around my current situation in Sano's house I suddenly felt unclean It was just as much of a mess as when I first arrived.

I tried not to stretch too much, the wound in my shoulder hurt like hell and lightning bolts were still being sent up my leg.

On the hole, it could have been a lot worse. I decided that it was time for a shower as it must have been at least a week since a proper wash. As I wandered around the house trying not to wake anyone, I reflected on my own house. It wasn't far from my recently abandoned bar. It was a nice place, had a huge shower and excellent wash room, you could never be too clean. It was on of those many habits that I could not get rid of from before.

I found the bathroom in much better condition than the rest of the house. All of the nagging Megumi must have applied to Sano must have had effect. I glanced in the mirror as I turned the shower on. It had been a week and a day since I had been shot. My red hair was clearly showing at the roots. I might as well wash the die out. It would be interesting to find out what Sano thought. He'd never have seen me without black hair.

-- -- --

I stepped out of the shower as the water began to run cold (I felt slightly guilty about running the hot water out) and rewraped my leg. It was still a mess of reds and blues but it was healing nicely. Another week and the stitches could come out. I reflected that it was nice to have someone else stitch me up instead of myself.

My shoulder was another problem. I couldn't wrap it properly to support it without reopening the wound. I'd have to have help. I used to just leave wounds open under my clothes or put a weak wrapping around them as needed. Being younger and more resilient meant that it worked. Being older and wiser now. I went to wake Sano.

-- -- --

We had a moment when Sano woke up. He didn't like the red hear at all. Actually he said, "Who the hell are you!" followed up by a "I'll kill you for coming here." That was until I backed out of the room not quite crying out "Sano it's me, it's me!" The way he kept staring at me for an hour after that made me uncomfortable.

"You know my hairs red" I said as he re-wrapped my shoulder

"I know that but it's still a shock to see it" Sano replayed as finished with a knot. "It all never really clicked, if you know what I mean."

"I can understand that" I replayed, feeling lower than usual.

"So, what's the plan for today?" he said in a much livelier tone, effectively ending the discussion.

"Let's wake Yahiko up first and find out what happened to your friend, then we'll see."

-- -- --

Yahiko's only comment on my hair was "Wasn't it black last night?" He had a bruise right across his forehead, the frozen peas last night had reduced the swelling but it still looked painful.

"You talking about Joe-san last night? You said she didn't come home." Sano said, as direct as ever.

"She said she was going to see someone. She wouldn't tell me who but I think it has to do with these people who showed up last week." He said.

"Who came last week?" Sano asked leaning forward.

"Two guys one tall and well built the other was a short man, quite fat. I don't know what they said but Karou practically chased them off the porch, She wasn't happy and didn't speak to me, I think she tried to ring you, or someone. She gave up and carried on with the day. After that, she appeared to be running on auto pilot for the rest of the week. Then she left and didn't come home last night" Yahiko said, his glance shifting from Sano to me and back again.

"I think the best course of action would be to go over to her house and see if she came back, if not we can go from there" I offered. "Sano, if you could ring Megumi's mobile and find out if Miss Karou has called her it would help."

"Why do you care?" Yahiko asked.

"She's a friend of Sano's and so are you, I'm just helping out a friend" I said. And for the first time, I felt good about myself.

-- -- --

We all piled into Sano's car for the trip over, but it wasn't a long ride. About five minutes later we pulled up to a Dojo on the border of Sano's neighbourhood. It was old but well kept, It needed a fresh paint job and some woodwork, but the garden was neat and well cared for and the windows were clean. It was a strange sight sat in the middle of the city next to a train line and yet, on the whole, quite a nice place.

Yahiko let us in the front door. The main corridor was sparse, you couldn't tell that anyone lived here the corridor was a traditional Japanese design, apparently in keeping with the dojo it's self. But Yahiko led us through this to the back where the house which was considerably more modern and American.

The house area definitely looked lived in, not as in Sano's mess lived in, but a homely. It was considerably nicer than my bland art deco flat. Nothing seemed out of place as yet. Yahiko went to check the answering machine while Sano called Megumi. I wandered around the house and towards the back door.

Nothing seemed out of place until I glanced across the back garden. "Yahiko" I said, "Do you ever jump the back wall to exit this place?"

"No, why should I, we back onto a railway line." Came Yahiko's reply.

"Then someone has been spying on your house." I said, "In fact, someone may still be there." I muttered to myself as I watched more carefully.

The back wall to the garden had scuff marks up to a row of trees that ran along the railway. If I looked carefully into the foliage in one of the trees I could just see, yes, there was a man up there. He wasn't a pro, If he was, he would have been in the top floor of the building across from us over the tracks. That would give a view over the trees and wouldn't have been given away by the flash of his binocular lenses. I went to find Sano.

"What do we do about him" Yahiko asked. His voice full of suppressed anger and fear.

"We get him, and we make him tell us what they did to Karou." Sano said thumping his fist into his palm.

"A good plan, but how do you intend to do it?" I asked, without any enthusiasm, I was still eyeing the scuff marks on the wall, If you were staking out a place you wouldn't go inside unless it was for intel. That meant bugging equipment. But you still needed to watch who was in the building, that meant they had no cameras in the house, only mikes.

It also meant that everything Sano was currently planed was useless. I cut Sano off in mid rant and gestured for both of them to follow me.

"What is it" Yahiko asked, puzzled at my sudden change in demure, "I'll tell you two in the car"

As we reached the car, I opened the door for Yahiko to get in and motioned to Sano.

"The house was probably bugged," I told him, "If I get this guy, is there anywhere around here we can interrogate him? Somewhere not associated with anyone of us, like a quarry or a wood?" We need the right atmosphere or this won't work."

"What are you on about!?" Sano growled, "We can't torture him!"

"I'm not going to!" I replied just as hotly "But, if we don't get this right, then he won't say anything and we've exposed ourselves for nothing!" I explained. "The worst outcome we can have is he wakes up recognises us and says nothing. So we do everything to ensure that doesn't happen. That means, neutral ground, masks, props, and also keeping him disorientated and wrong footed all the time."

Sano lent back over the car. "You've done this sort of thing before, haven't you" he said in a far away voice.

"No I haven't" He looked at me "I never kidnapped anyone. It wasn't my job." I said, hotly, "but I do know about intimidation, and I listened when others thought otherwise." I said quietly.

"Now are we doing it my way, or are we doing it the way they heard already in the house?"

That swung it, It was my way, we both agreed that it would be best if Yahiko wasn't there, we told him that it was because the spy would recognise him instantly as he had been under surveillance.

The plan was complicated, but then it had to be, I would stay here and "retrieve the package" so to speak, while Sano dropped Yahiko at home, picked up a few items and drove back here. We would then drive the "hopefully" unconscious spy to the forest outside of the city, about 5 miles away. And use an old trail Sano knew to take us off the beaten track.

"Remember," I said as he was about to pull away "When you come back we say nothing until we get to the spot, Silence is a lot more scary than threats."

I was left alone. Now all I had to do was sneak up on a guy in a tree and knock him unconscious using nothing but what I had on me. I stood for a minuet. I hadn't really thought this part through. I glanced around me thinking I wonder if I could find a half brick, I had about 15 minuets before Sano came back and started looking.

I had given up on the half brick idea and was making my way around the outside of the property to the tree line behind. If I could get up into the tree without him seeing me it would be easy but if he saw me, then it would get interesting, just because he couldn't spy didn't mean he couldn't fight. That would slow me up considerably, and may mean that the plan would fail completely.

I spotted my target from my new hiding spot in the tree line, he was starring intently at the house through binoculars. On his lap lay a CB radio and at the base of the tree was a food bag. It was all a bit amateurs, like he was bird watching or something. Having been stalked by some of the best I couldn't resist a slight smirk as I moves silently to the base of his tree.

Usually I would be up the tree faster than he could move but with a healing hole in my leg I had to be more careful. I had planed to clime up there and smack the back of his head, not to dissimilar to the blow to Yahiko last night. When he put down his binoculars!

I flattened myself to the tree. I could here him moving around, thoughts raced through my mind "Had he seen me?" "Had Sano arrived early?" But mostly, "What the HELL IS HE DOING!" He continued banging, scraping bark and cursing until I heard a thump, He'd come down! That made life easier, and harder, I didn't know where he was but it would be easier for me to render him unconscious.

I peeked around the trunk, the man had his head down in his food bag. It was now or never.

It was a sweet blow, he went down like a lead balloon. Now all I had to do was wait for Sano, Glancing at my watch, that was about 5 minuets. I removed the man's binoculars from around his waist and bound his hands and used his own belt for his legs. He had a wallet as well as a phone about his person, I pocketed both, removing the battery from the cell phone as I did. There was no point taking risks in guessing who this guy worked for

I watched Sano's car roll up from the side of the house. Checking our prisoner was still asleep, I went to meet him.

"You got him?" was the first words out of his mouth, "yep, you got the blindfold?" I asked in return. "Of course and the ski masks from before."

I told Sano to bring his car around the back and reminded him that from then on we didn't speak no mater what the man said, I hoped he would remain unconscious until we got to the wood, but I had my doubts. To be safe I put the ski mask on as I went to pick up sleeping beauty.

Five minutes later we had the man, blindfolded and secured, in the back of Sano's car, we had him sat behind the passage seat. I road next to him to be safe as Sano drove.

We didn't make it to the forest went the man woke up.

There were the predictable questions such as "Who the hell are you?" and "Were are you taking me?" With no answers coming form me or Sano when started to panic. He started to threaten "Do you know who I am, who I work for!" He started to struggle against his bonds, I couldn't allow that so I thought I'd get a head start on the interrogation.

I sized his neck in one hand and whispered. "Be a good boy, and sit still, we don't want to have and … accident do we?"

The got him really squirming looked left and right trying to see through the blindfold, he was panicking now. We had left the city now and were heading into the forest. I guessed we were about 5 minuets away.

As the road in the forest got rougher the man started talking again,

"I'm Nishi! I'm with the Satsujin! Now you know what trouble your in!" This seemed to give him more confidence. He carried on "If you're looking for the bitch we have her, she should have accepted the proposal our lord offered! Now she'll have to serve us!"

I couldn't believe our luck, we wouldn't have to do a thing just wait for him to tell us everything.

The car came to a stop and Sano got out. I glanced around the site, It was exactly what I was looking for, secluded and generic. I wondered how Sano knew about this place. We dragged the man out by his arms and pushed him up to a tree, while Sano held him, I used rope from the car to lash the man to the it.

Sano motioned to the blind fold, but I shook my head. The man was whimpering again. I picked up a stick from the floor and gave it to Sano. And made prodding motions with it. I took a few steps back to make my voice seem further away. And asked, "Why were you spying on that house?" the man looked confused. Sano looked at me I pointed to my side under my rips and gestured for him to poke him.

The man practically levitated when the stick touched him. "Don't make me ask again or my companion will have to do something drastic, I don't like guns personally, They make too much mess and blood is so hard to wash out. But, then again, they such an affective tools." I gestured for Sano to poke the man's knee. "It's amazing how sensitive the knees are to damage." I said. "Now, who do you work for?"

"Agh, I work for Gohei! Hiruma Gohei!"

"And who is he?" I asked.

His voce became low as he laughed, "They call him the Battosai. Now do you see what trouble your in!"

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What did you think?

My thanks to all the people who've read this up to now and extra to those who reviewed.

Point out the mistakes, comment on what you like, generally say something, I'd thank all reviewers personally but writing this on trains means I can't check who's reviewed as train's are not wireless yet. Which is a shame.

Until next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello once again

Hello once again! Chapter 5 has arrived! Thanks to those of you who've reviewed, (Pinfeathers, XxAnd Imiss YouxX, tcl7189, Ranchi Blade, gure, and gabyhatt, listed because I get a little warm feeling when I'm mentioned so I hope you all do too.)

I've come to the conclusion that this story will never be a hit but hey, I enjoy writing it and I don't like half-finished stories. (p.s. I did warn you that ken was ooc in the blurb. It's hard to only knock out people with guns, I hope he'll be more like the Kenshin we know and love by later chapters though.)

And without further adieu, On with the show.

(Still don't own Ken and co. is this disclaimer still necessary?)

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His voce became low as he laughed, "They call him the Battosai. Now do you see what trouble your in!"

The thought was still rattling around my head. Sano and I had left the man tied to the tree. We had freed his hands and feet, so it would take some time to get free. Making sure to stay out of his line of sight, we drove away, back down the wood track.

"So," Sano said casually as bee bumped back to the road to the city, "What have you been doing of a night time hey?"

"That's just not funny." I replied glaring at him, "What do you know about the Satsujin?"

"Started as a two brothers, One was the mussel the other the brains, Caused a bit of a fuss two years ago with small murder spree, but nothing to make the national papers though. Last I heard they were gathering men to form a new Mafia group." Sano said, "I personally thought they were mad, by now I would have thought the local Triads would have killed them, they're not one for competition. I guess they haven't."

"Any idea who this "Battosai" is?" and before Sano could say anything I added "Not me, Him." and added as he started to smirk "And no, it's still not funny."

"It is, just a little bit." Sano said with a rye smile, "Ok fine, I don't know who this guy is. Only one thing is sure though."

"What's that?" I asked

"He's not you." Sano laughed. I mealy looked at him and mentally sighed,

"Your right," I said wearily "He's not me"

-- -- --

It did give me pause for thought, I'd never given thought to other people using my old name as I held it in such disguised. It was a symbol of all that was wrong with me, and what I had done. It was a memory that I wanted to forget.

Still, the thought of someone using my name irritated me. It was probable the thing that drew the attention of the Choshu to this area in the first place. If nothing else, this whole mess that this "Miss Karou" was in gave me a start point for my enquiries. Some examples of which were, who was after me, and what, specifically, did they want to kill me for. There was any number of reasons for people wanting to kill me. From, revenge for dead lord (not necessarily killed by me), to wanting my strength to appeases their gods (I will NEVER go to the Congo again! No matter how nice the weather was).

I had to assume from the note left at my bar that the current threat was my old group. I'd served them faithfully for the best years of my life, I had been their "perfect weapon" until I had, in their words, "broke." I'd fallen in love. It would have been the classic eyes across a crowded room. If the room had been a fortified garden and the crowd had been armed guards hunting for the killer of their lord. I had just chosen to use as an escape route through a wooded clearing which lay by the external wall.

As I dropped from the trees I saw her, for the first time, standing in the middle of the shafts of moonlight looking like an angel. I reached for my sword to silence her before she could say a word when our eyes met. And the world stopped.

-- -- --

I shook myself free from my introspection. If I though about her for long I would become despondent all over again. It had been 3 years since the incident and if I wasn't careful, I could still slip into the same spiral of depression I had worked so hard to get out of.

I had to focus on the now. There were people after me and I had no intention of letting them find me. A sister like person to my friend was in trouble and being held by people claming to be associated with the Battousi, which probably brought the heat on me in the first place. A question that remained to be seen was, were they worthy of the title. Would this person even use a sword at all? There was a time when I would have been ordered to shown them exactly what it meant to be the Battousi ending with another face that would haunt my dreams at night.

Now, thought, I would be happy if they ended up in front of the police. I had no wish to kill an in tire group, nor did I want to set them up as me. I doubted anyone who was after me would mistake them for a second, and I wouldn't wish my fate on anyone. But it would be nice if they stopped messing with my friend's friend or bringing unnecessary attention to me.

I glance across at Sano as we passed back into the city his face was no-longer set in a mirthful smile it had been as we left Nishi tied to a tree. I felt that the full ramifications of the situation had just dawned on him. The woman, who was like a sister to him, was currently held by people that were trying to live up to a reputation of me.

"Nishi said that they would keep Karou as a servant to there lord, that means that she is still alive," I said looking at Sano. "If she is to serve the lord she'll be where there lord is or near by. All we have to do is find where their headquarters is in this city. That shouldn't be to hard with your's and Miss Megumi's contacts."

"Yes but," Sano said, looking distort.

I cut him off "No buts, we are going to find where she is and we will get her back. We will also do it in such a way that they will not want her back." Sano looked at me with a question in his eye, "Don't worry, I have a plan" I said smiling.

"I hope it doesn't involve killing everyone" Sano said. I sighed "I don't plan on killing everyone, I don't want to kill anyone, I never wanted to kill anyone again."

"Besides, if this plan works, we won't even have to fight." I said, smiled at Sano.

I was depressed Sano thought that that would have been my plan. I had never killed any more people than I had needed, unlike some people I had worked with, I never revelled in the kill, or the hunt, I used to think I was making the world a better place. The sad thing was my reputation had taken on a life of it's own. My cruelties were many and horrendous, I had never drunk blood or kept the heads of the slain. People even believed the more ridiculous rumours. During my first year of wandering I overheard a group of people discussing an article about my "disappearance". They claimed that I hadn't died (correct) but that I'd retired to a manner with twenty virgins at my beck and call. (Incorrect. Much to my dismay) that's the problem with living with a reputation, they tend to be wrong.

-- -- --

My plan was simple, we find this "Battousai" lair, infiltrate as new members. Pick points of interest for the police, find Miss Karou, and get out. Then one or two anonymous phone calls to the police claming something large like drugs to ensure a raid on the premises and we're home free. But, as I'm fond of saying, First things first.

"Sano, What does Miss Karou look like?" I felt this might be important.

"You've never met her? You must have." Sano replied stunned.

"No, I've heard you mention her numerous times at the bar, but I only met Miss Megumi when she was treating me and I've never met Miss Karou."

"Wow, I'd just sort of assumed.." Sano answered. "She's taller than you, not as tall as me, long black hair, good looking in a plane sort of way. Err"

"Do you have a picture?" I asked before Sano could cut his description down from approximately a quarter of the population of earth. No wonder the police had a problem with identifying people.

"Ya, I've got one in my wallet" he said fishing it out, I wondered if, on reflection, I should have asked him that first.

Sano handed me the photo, it showed three figures posing at a beach, I assumed it was taken last year when Sano had taken a trip to the coast for two weeks. He had his arms around Megumi and another woman that I guessed was Karou. Sano was wrong, she wasn't plain in any sort of way. Her eyes were alive with mirth. Even as she tried to surge off Sano's arm. She was gorgeous.

…Where had that come from. It was just a photo. Don't go overboard, but Sano had been right about the hair, It cascaded like a simmering black waterfall in the sun with the sea sparkling behind.

Sano interrupted my musings when he said "Karou hates that photo. She says it catches her in a bad light. "Ah?" I could only look at him stunned. "Bad light?" Sano looked at me in a funny way, "What's gotten into you?" he asked.

I didn't know. I mentally shook my head and changed the subject.

"Right, we have to find these "Satsujin" and this "Hiruma Gohei" could you call Megumi and ask what she knows, a doctor in her position should know the local gangs. We need to know where were going as soon as possible. I reckon that our helpful friend has gotten loose by now so the sooner the better. I'll fill in Yahiko.

As we entered Sano's apartment again I felt the urge to clean it up once again. I don't like messes. It's almost a compulsion on my part. (As I've previously said, you should see me doing laundry.) Yahiko looked like he hadn't stopped moving since Sano had left him her 30 minutes ago.

"Well?" was all he managed to say.

"We know why Miss Karou was taken, and who took her. It also appears that she is ok at the minute. Sano and I are going to get her back as soon as Sano finds their base of operations.

"What about the guy over at the house?"

"He's been taken care of." I said smugly

"You killed him!?" Yahiko said, shocked.

"What, no! We left him tied to a tree. It'll take him awhile to get free, and in a few days it won't matter." I said, Why did everybody assume I only knew one way of dealing with a situation? Yahiko doesn't even know who I was and he still assumed the worst. It's that sort of thing to get you down after a while.

Yahiko thought for a moment and then said, "I want to help."

I started out saying "I know you want to help your sister but," when he cut me off. "Karou is not my sister! She's my Sensei." That put things in a different light, I had assumed that he was related. I realised that there was more to this kid's story than I'd first assumed.

Yahiko, it turned out, was a former street urchin, for a want of a better term. Miss Karou had taken him in when she caught him trying to pickpocket her on the high street. After she thrashed him with her bakkock (AN spelling please!), he had followed her begging to be taught. (Who carries a bakkock around with them! Then again I used swords so perhaps I shouldn't talk.) She eventually caved when she saw Yahiko helping a girl in trouble, and took him in as a sort of live in apprentice.

By the time we'd covered his life story Sano came in bearing news. Megumi knew the gang and was on her way over, but more importantly, we knew the location of their headquarters.

-- -- --

Megumi arrived at Sano's ten minutes later. All that time was filled with Yahiko alternatively begging Sano or me to be allowed to go with us. We had told him that no matter what we did, the Satsujin would not take a kid in as a new member but this wouldn't stop him.

I was quietly amused by all this Sano on the other hand was getting irritated. Megumi's knocking failed to stop the ensuing fight. I decided to let Megumi in as Sano was currently engaged by an irate Yahiko who was biting his arm. (You had to give the kid points for effort)

"Miss Megumi, Welcome to Sano's house." I said cordially and lead her in. She was still distrustful of me. I didn't blame her. Until recently I had been an anonymous bar tender of Sano's acquaintance. Now, I'd been shot, twice, and also seemed an expert in kidnap and interrogation. I wouldn't be surprised if she had put the red hair together with my scares and come to the same conclusion as Sano. But, unlike Sano, she didn't have a year's worth of friendship to counter the stories. I'd have to use my charm to disarm her frosty extra.

I led her back to the war zone, which, by the time we entered. Had escalation to unparalleled proportions. Yahiko was hitting Sano over the head with an improvised barkkock, yelling "Rooster Rooster Rooster" while Sano, himself was dodging the blows and taunting back with his own cry of "Yahiko-chan,"

I turned to Meg asking "Does this sort of thing happen a lot with these two?" She sighed and replied with sigh, "you'd be surprised." Megumi turned back to the warring pair and muttered "It's for things like this that we need Karou. I'm a doctor for Pete's sake." Before yelling "Knock it off!" In the most unlady like manner.

Everything stopped.

"Wow Fox, I didn't know you had it in you." Smirked Sano. Before another row erupted between him and Megumi I stepped in. "Could you please tell us what you know about Satsujin, Miss Megumi."

"I've patched up there victims many times, there known for being very unforgiving when the felt that they've been insulted. There are rumours that they even employed," her voice dropped to a whisper, "the Battosai." "We don't want to antagonise them," She paused and looked from me to Sano, "Please don't tell me that they have Karou."

"I'm afraid it looks that way" I answered, "Listen, We know she's ok, and we know she's at their main safe house. All we need is it's location, then Sano and I can get her out.

"Its on Quebec road, behind the club. But what about the Battosai, I know Sano can handle himself, but what about you?"

I was surprised at the concern, no one had ever worried about me before a mission. They just assumed it would be done. "Don't worry about me, I'm tougher than I look." I smiled, of course fate chose that point to intervene and, as I shifted my weigh, my leg exploded with pain. I let none of it show on my face, but it was an effort.

"Right, We know where they are, lets go get Joe-san back" Sano remarked as he left through the door.

As I turned to follow Megumi caught my hand and looked at me. "I've let slide the fact that there's more to you than your letting on, but if you make me regret the day I saved your life…"

"Miss Megumi, You have absolutely nothing to fear from me, or my intentions."

And with that I left.

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Good lord this chapter took some work. Sorry for the delay. I'm hoping for more regular two-week gaps instead of months,

My thanks once again to all the people who've read this up to now and extra to those who reviewed.

Point out the mistakes, comment on what you like, generally say something, and I'll see you next time.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6, who would have though it

Chapter 6, who would have though it. And after such a shaky start. I hope my writing style has improved and the plot is still interesting. I felt the last chapter lacked in humour So I'll try to put the fun back in to fundamentalism so to speak. (Well I think that joke is funny)

On with the show!

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I took Megumi's words at face value. If anything happened to Sano on our little rescue op. It would be my head. Thinking about it, I wouldn't stop her. These people were the first real friends I'd had.

As we drove to the Club I laid out my plan to Sano. We infiltrate the place by posing as new members, or another clan, or something, I'd decide when the time comes. What ever method we chose it had to end with us being taken in to see the boss, There we should see Karou, I made emphasis at this point that Sano must not to give the game away by signalling to Miss Karou.

From there, Sano would try to stay as close to Karou as possible and I scope out some interesting facts for the police and alternate escape routs. Then I meet up with Sano and we leave by the fastest exit and call the relevant police force in once we'd left. That should give them enough problems than to worry about us. I hoped.

If, in the event it all went pair shaped, Sano was to find / protect Karou, I would give him the time required and hopefully clear an escape path. But this was a last resort option.

Having told this, Sano looked at me as if I was daft. "Do you have a better plan?" I ask, eyebrow raised

"We go in and kick people until they give us Karou." He said, sulkily.

I just looked at him open-mouthed. No wonder Megumi had threatened me to protect him. He needed it. "And what happens when they wake up? We need to be free and clear. Trust me, let's do it my way."

We parked the car in a pay and display across from the club and I hunted for the nearest payphone and any possible camera locations. The pay phone had a camera in it and the ATM machine across the way would have one. There would be shop security cameras as well as the cameras over by the club it's self.

There were too many cameras on the hole to make the phone a truly anonymous phone call to police. I'd have to improvise, I'd make the call from inside. I informed Sano of the change, He mumbled something about liking his plan better. By the end of this I felt I probably would as well.

The street was quiet. The town changed from its daylight face of shopping centres to its night face of bars and nightclubs. The club was an ostentatious place that called it's self Bliss. Blue neon lights covered every possible angle with tacky highlights of white, If I had to guess I would say it had been an old cinema of some description. We walked toward the back door of the building.

The door was guarded by a thug of a man, who was a good foot taller than I was. As we approached he gave us the standard glare of every bouncer and said, "you'll have to wait for the club to open, just like everyone else."

"Were not here for the club, I want to talk to Mister Gohei. We've got a proposal he'll want to hear."

"Oh yea? What would that be?" He replied, confirming that we had the right place.

"That would be for him to know, not you. Open the door before you end up on the floor."

"What, to a runt like you?" he said smiling. I tensed myself for a simple throat thrust, when Sano stepped past me and said "No, to a runt like me" and unleashed a blow that would have rocked the Titanic.

The man went down like a sack of potatoes. I refrained from showing my surprise and looked at Sano saying, "This is not the way to leave a good impression." A grin from Sano indicated he understood that I was setting a trend, he was the mussel, I was the boss.

I banged on the door "Open the door and take us to Mister Gohei, before we have to find him ourselves" A slot opened in the door way and a man peered out, "Why would he want to see you."

I sighed, and said, "I already said, I'll tell him that when we see him."

Before the man could react, My hand shot through the slot in the door and grabbed the man's nose. I pulled violently on it as to drive the man's head sharply into the door. He tried to reel back, but I held on "Open the door or I get violent." I said through the hatch. There was a click inside and the door swung in. I let go of the man's nose and walked trough.

I was disappointed, I'd expected a host of people with drawn guns, or at least five strong men, what we got was an empty corridor with the man who had been guarding the door nursing his nose. What happened to silent alarms, redundant secret systems, my own pup was better guarded than this.

I looked at the man who, by now, had blood flowing down his face. "Take us to Mister Gohei, please"

He put his head back to stem the flow "Can't"

""Why?"

"He's not here"

I glanced at Sano. We would have to improvise. "Ok, who is here"

"Well, there's… Him, but you won't want to talk to him." I glared at him, "Who's Him?"

He whisper "The Battousi"

"Take us to him then. I do not want to waste the trip"

The Man, who had realised that no further violence was forthcoming started to regain his bravado.

"Are you sure," he said in a voice he obviously though was intimidating "You must have heard the stories."

"Just take us." I said, sounding as weary of the stories as I felt.

He led us down a corridor that was typical of every club. And up a set of stairs. I was constantly on the look out for choke points and ambush sites, there was only a few doors leading onto this apparent main corridor. The place was not matching my expectations of a high-class gang. The layout was poor, The defence procedures were shocking, And where the hell was everyone! I was beginning to get the feeling that I may have overestimated my opponent, Until we walked trough the double doors at the top of the stairs.

"Ah, and here are the men." I said aloud, "I was beginning to wonder what sort of operation you guys were running". Standing in a semicircle were seven men, armed with various forms of sub-machineguns and were looking serious.

Despite the guns, It was all very sloppy, our escape root was still open, and if we were armed we could have jumped back and use the stairs we walked up as a temporary bunker from the room and as an elevated position for any assault from down the corridor.

Judging by the way the men were standing and holding their guns they'd never received any military training. Or any informal training, as four of the "guards" had the safeties on their guns on, very poor form in the presence of potential hostile.

We had to keep them on the back foot though, or the group would act as if two people had just muscled there way into their secret base, and we wouldn't want that would we?

"Can we see this Battousi?" I said, trying to look as disinterested as possible. Sano just looked at me. Although he hid it well, I could see he was out of his depth facing this many armed men. We needed to look in control and sound as if our word was law, if we were to have any chance of getting out with Karou.

The men looked confused, this wasn't how it was supposed to go, I'd taken the initiative away from them, I had about 5 seconds to reinforce my authority or we would see the supposed Battousi as prisoners as oppose to guests.

"Well, lead on" I said, gesturing to one of the men.

The men started to glance at one another, "Now" I said, with a hint of anger. That did it.

The guns were slung back on shoulders and the guards gestured for us to follow them.

We were taken through another set of doors and into another well-lit room. White tiger striped sofas were placed along the sides of the room with pictures of, what some people would call, fine. I called them tasteless. The whole place was 'tacky.'

Sprawled across the couch in front of us was a huge man. On either side of him were two guards and an assortment of girls in clothing that wouldn't look out of place in a strip club. At first glance I couldn't tell if any of them was Karou, but non-of them looked particularly happy to be there.

A quick glance at Sano confirmed it, non of these ladies was our girl. Time to become one with the group.

"You must be the Battousai. I've got some information that your boss might want to know of. Care to tell me where I can find him?"

"You must think your some sort of big shot to walk in here and ask questions" the man said as he got up. He was a good foot taller than Sano and sported an angry cross on his face and flame red hair. He was a picture of everything I'd heard about myself. It disgusted me. Nor was I overly pleased at the level of skill required to imitate me. No mater, this man had the answer to where Miss Karou was, and if I had to play on his pride to find out then so be it.

"Well, My associate and I are not ones to brag but, we are good. Although not as good as I hear you are. I'd rather talk to Mister Gohei than be presented to him in pieces." I said. The aim was to stoke his ego and still be taken seriously, it was a fine balance. It was a strange situation, Time was I wouldn't have had the ability to lead conversations like this. Three years behind a bar had mellowed me, and improved my vocabulary.

As we were waiting for his reply, Sano spoke up "Listen I know you two bosses would like to chat, but is there anywhere I could get a drink, It's been a long day."

I could see that Sano was anguishes to look for Karou as soon as possible, but he could have chosen a more polite way to do it. "You'll have to forgive my lieutenant, but he is right, It has been a long day and we have things to discuss that are better for some not to hear." That sounded good as well as important. It would also buy time for Sano to find Miss Karou. It all hinged on if this man bought it.

He stared at us with what he must have thought was a killer's stare, frankly, I'd seen better stares on house cats. Then he signalled his men, who began to file out, I nodded to Sano to follow him. He walked out with the rest of the guards without a problem. That left me alone with the imposture.

The man gestured for me to sit on one of the tasteless couches. He returned to his place besides the women. I had to say something "So let me get this strait, what I'm about to tell you is not suitable for your own guards but is perfectly acceptable for your entourage? That seems like poor practise."

"Ha ha ha, These bitches wouldn't say a word. I've trained them well. Isn't that right darling?" He said turning to one of the women who shuddered.

It was getting harder and harder to hide my revulsion for this thing that called it's self a man.

"I must ask, Battousi, how did you escape the Choshu?"

"The who?"

I blinked, he called himself the Battousi and didn't know his/my old group? What sort of idiot was this? I could feel myself slipping into the old ways. This man had no honour, no morals, nothing. I could kill him right now and the world would be a …

NO!

NO, stick with the plan, let the police deal with this scum. It was thinking like that that almost destroyed me.

On the other had, I could just render him unconscious, ask the women if they have seen Karou and then get out. On the other hand, Sano would be better suited to the search and he's already on the job.

"Listen," The man said, unaware of how close he had just come to death. "Are you going to tell me what's so important that you come crashing in here uninvited. And for that matter, who are you?"

"All you really need to know is that there is a spy in your origination" I lied.

"What!" He shot out of the chair "Who, just tell me and he's dead!" My god this guy was easy to play. Considering we'd bullied our way in, belittled his boss, and demanded an audience, we are now more trusted than his own men.

Still, I had to buy Sano time to find Karou and give me a signal.

"Listen Mr B. I think we need to talk about this with Gohei before we go any further."

"Well the boss in hospital at the moment, our newest acquisition is a bit too feisty for him, but we'll soon sort that out."

Just as he finished a guard burst in the double doors. His arm was in a sling and he was looking very harassed "My Lord Battousi" (My Lord? Does this man's ego know no limit?) "She's escaped again!"

"How! You were supposed to double the guard!"

While the fool ranted on I couldn't help but notice the smiles that passed over the two women in the room. Whoever this was, they were a favourite of the down trodden. The doors burst open again and a young woman stood there.

She held what looked like a bat in one hand and was dressed in tattered jeens and a once white tee-shirt, she looked as if she'd seen better days. The new guard moved to intercept her, and probably had more luck if the bat hadn't crashed into the guard's head, bringing him to the ground.

She turned to us, swinging the bat into an on guard position. "Your foulness will come to an end Battousi!" she screamed. For a split second I though she meant me.

"Ha ha ha, You think the mighty Battousi would be brought down by a mere woman?"

I would have smiled if it weren't so tragic. The Battousi advanced on the woman, with his fist raised, She struck, a solid downwards stroke of a professional, it would have left the man unconscious if he hadn't caught it.

"Now I'll teach you your place here" he grinned as he raised his other fist,

Enough of this, I stepped up quickly behind the fool and kicked his leg out, as he came down I drove my knee into the back of his head. He was out before he hit the floor. I looked up at the woman to said "Hi, I'm Kenshin, I'm here to rescue you," At least that was the plan. What actually happened was I looked up and said "Hi I'm…" and her foot connected with my crotch.

Needless to say, I went down. On the whole, I could have met Karou under nicer circumstances. But that would make life too easy for me, wouldn't it.

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Well, I planned to get this out on the weekend, 3 days late all well.

Tell me what you think, good, bad? Also, I was planning to have Ken's history with Tomoe similar to the manga, but it can be twisted opinions?

See you next chapter!

Stubbs


	7. Chapter 7

Well, Chapter seven here, I had the feeling that the last chapter was not one of my best

Well, Chapter seven here, I had the feeling that the last chapter was not one of my best. So, with an attempt to improve, on with the show.

Still no permission to use Kenshin, I can't say I've asked either

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Having just been floored by the mad girl wielding a baseball bat, I had to say my conduct was exemplary. I mealy groaned as opposed to using every fowl word under the sun as I justifiably felt initialled too. My legs were refusing to work after the blow and my stomach felt ready to heave. Despite this I felt that I had to make some effort at introducing myself.

"Hi" I said from ground level in a voice considerably higher than normal.

"So you can still talk you perv! I'll show you what a woman can do." The woman said, raising the bat above her head for what I thought would be her killer blow. I managed to stare up into her fireiey eyes and decided that, as a last thing to see, they were beautiful. By curling up into a ball and covering my head, I braced myself for impact.

The bat came down on the side of my ribs, and again on my arm protecting my head, It HURT! But, before the bat could land a third time I heard Sano's voice, to me it sounded like the angel of mercy.

"Karou, why are you hitting Kenshin? I already told you he came with me to get you out."

The irate woman spun to face him, "What."

"You're hitting Ken, with a bat."

She looked down at me, I waved back, "Hi, nice to meet you, could you stop hitting me now?" I felt it carried the gist of what I wanted to say, shame it sounded as if a schoolboy said it.

There was one of those little pauses where everyone re-evaluates the situation. Then both Sano and Karou helped me to my feet.

"It was really nice of you to help Kenshin, but you really shouldn't mess with these people. Their killers, You could have been seriously hurt." Karou said, as she inspected the damage she'd inflicted.

Sano laughed at the irony of this for me. "You're just as bad," she said, turning to Sano "I know you can look after yourself but what would have happened to Kenshin if I hadn't been there?" I just looked at her, I couldn't think of a reasonable response. "I was fine until you kicked me and went to town with a baseball bat" didn't seem appropriate.

Having managed to pull myself back into a conforming state I managed to ask, "Where are all the guards?" Looking around the room I could still see the "Battousi" unconscious on the floor and the two. "Probably trying to contain the riot that's going on down stairs" Sano said

Riot? What the hell happened, we'd only been in this place for about 10 minutes and had only just seen the boss. As far as I could tell, my nicely thought out plan had gone out the window. I decided to blame Sano as I felt it was usually somehow his fault.

"What's our next plan" I asked Karou. She gave me a look and said "Plan? I just got fed up of being treated like a servant. I ran into Sano as I was leaving, he said you were here and that we had to get you."

"Oh," It was an appropriate response, "in that case, I suggest that we high tail it out of here while their boss is away," I turned to the two women still in the room with us, "I recommend that you two do the same"

I started towards the door we came in from when Sano called out, "Hang on Ken, There's another person down stair, The room was locked, second on the right through the doors, "Ok, I got her, I'll see you two at the meeting place."

"You mean the car?" Sano asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Sano, when you're in the middle of an enemy base, don't say where you're heading afterward." I turned my attention to the fallen Battousi, and started to frisk him, looking for a key of some description. I looked up, the others hadn't moved

"well go, you don't want to hang around here."

Ah, I found the man's keys and his wallet, huh, his name was in fact Himua Gohei. It must be the other brother in hospital. The man also had about his person small combat knife, which was strapped to his back, and about 30 dollars in cash. I struggled with my morels for a few seconds and eventually took the money. I figured he owed me for being complicated in the loss of my pub. I moved to search the man with the broken arm, nothing interesting there.

I heard a commotion at the door. By the sounds of it, the guards were waking up after Karou and Sano's rampage. That could be an irritation. I looked for another way out, the room had a suspended ceiling was the best option, defiantly better than hiding behind a sofa (which I've been known to do.) I leapt onto a sofa, and removed a roof panel. A quick jump put me perched in a half crouch in the false ceiling, on the ventilation and sprinkler systems that supported my weight. I replaced the missing panel and listened to the noise below.

It sounded as if two people had come in. There footsteps were rushed "Boss, Boss, are you alright?" there was a scuffling,

The man with the broken arm said somewhat woosaly "The mad girl came in with a bat and laid me out, where is the person you were talking to?"

"What pers… The bastard hit me from behind! When I find him, he's dead!"

Well, it looked like I'd collected another fan, at least he's missed completely Sano and Karou, He ranted on for another minute or so, and it seemed to be setting in for the long hall, I'd decided to see if there was a way out through the false ceiling. I had a kid to save. Wow, go me, I sound like a hero.

Of course, true to building regulations, the vents and piping were fire proofed, e.g. blocked, I was stuck there until they left, or I could fight my way out. I was preparing to lift a corner of a ceiling panel to get a look around and see where they all were when I heard the door slam open again.

This time it sounded as if a large group had arrived, I felt a chill, whoever just entered was a player. Not someone to mess with, and worst of all, I felt I knew him. I froze in place, I didn't dare breath unless it gave me away.

"Well, if this thing even passes as the Battousi then the world may truly , " That voice confirmed it, Iizuka one of my former handlers. This was all kinds of bad, I had to get out, find the kid and get out.

"How DARE you say that. I'll kill you for that," I heard the fake say, "shut up, shut up" I kept repeating "he will kill you, he will kill you how can you not see this"

"I've heard enough," There was a sound of a pistol, a colt, his favourite. "Clean this place."

"No!" cried the now familiar injured guard as machineguns opened up.

The door opened again and shut, I opened the ceiling and looked down. It wasn't pleasant, I had to get the girl before the cleaning squad did. Second door on the right, not a lot of time. I opened the door to the corridor slowly, Iizuka was walking out the front door with two men. I heard gunshots through the doors on the right. There would be at least four men in the cleaner squad, each proficient with their automatic weapons, with armour piercing bullets as well as body armour under their suits.

Gohei's group would be like lams to the slaughter.

I went to the ground and looked under the door. Two shifting shapes, guards holding the entrance. I went through the doors quick, rolled to my right and scanned. One of the guards had been clipped by the door, the other was turning to face me, can't have that, a round heal kick drops him before he can complete the turn, I quickly jump the last man while he was still groggy, choking him out.

The corridor had two doors on either side and ended with a T-junction, gunfire was coming from around the corners. The doors on either side were still closed, the two guys here were meant to be the ambush, people could be flushed from the rooms and corridors and into their line of fire. No one in this building was leaving alive. I had to be quick before they noticed the two missing guards.

I ran to the door in question and tried the handle, locked. I pulled out the keys I'd taken and tried to match them to the lock, gave up and rammed the knife into it and turned, breaking it.

I opened the door and threw myself to the floor as a table leg sailed past my head. "Stop, I'm here to get you out!" why was everyone out to hurt me? Especially the people I'm trying to help! It was getting ridiculous.

"Sano and Karou sent me to get you out" I said glancing around the room, a young girl stepped forwards, maybe about 15, I would have taken more time to explain what was happening if I hadn't heard a call from around the corner for the two unconscious guards.

"Ok, Were out of time, sorry about this" I said as a grabbed her hand, "keep quiet or were in real trouble" I said as I checked the door, I could here footsteps coming from around the corner. We had to go. I picked up the girl and ran for the door. I heard the shouts regarding my two fallen foes as we rounded the home stretch.

We burst through the doors to the out side to find it deserted, much to my relief, It was probably the first bit of luck I'd had. We ran to the edge of the club. There was a line beginning to form of people querying to enter the club, completely unaware of what was happening behind the exclusive VIP doors at the back.

I could see no sign of Iizuka thank god. I took a look back and judged the ally to still be clear, time to leave, I pulled the girl behind me to the parking lot where I found Sano's car with the engine on and the lights off.

The occurrence of the car all jumped when I opened the door.

"Hi, room for two more?" I asked forcing a smile on my face, as I handed the girl to Karou in the back seat, and joined them, Sano turned to me and asked "where to boss?"

"That's not even funny, Just get us to a hotel, preferably a long way from here." I had been severely rattled and I needed to think, I also didn't want people who we didn't know coming back to our safe house. If you could call Sano's flat a safe house. The place was not known to Choshu and in the interest of everybody, I would like to keep it that way.

On the plus side, if they knew were I was, they wouldn't have bothered raided the gang's hideout. At least I hoped that that was it. Maybe they got my bar confused with a pub. However unlikely.

Of course it was always possible for party politics to play a hand. I'd have to find out, but not until we'd all laid low, today had been too close for comfort. And you never know, they might have given up in this area and move on.

Well, they might.

-- -- --

We'd booked a room at a day's inn, which was about a twenty-minute drive from the club. We'd booked it more for a place to talk than a place to stay. Sano had opened the mini bar and was passing round the miniatures.

"He's to a successful mission, not that our Little Missy here didn't have things under control. Hay, we need to call Yahiko and tell him we've got you."

I sat down with my back to a wall facing smiled, at the girl I'd rescued, "Hi, we never were formally introduced, I'm Kenshin, what's your name?"

"Tusubame"

"Nice to meet you, Tusubame," I turned to the other two women, "Nice to meet you lot too,"

"You said you were some sort of boss, You and,… Sano, was it?" said one of the two women

"Ya, but that was a lie, we just had to get us in, wasn't it Ken." Sano said as he searched his pockets for his phone

I just shrugged, and smiled as innocently as I could "If it's any help, I own, well, owned a pub."

There was a thoughtful silence after that.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but who are you and what were you all doing there? I thought that it was just Miss Karou their to get out."

"I'm Tae and this is my sister Sae, Some guys came by our restaurant about a week ago and demanded protection money, We told them to get lost. The next thing we knew, Sae and me had black bags thrown over our heads and we were taken to that place and locked up. Told that if we didn't serve the lords, they would kill Tusubame, our waitress.

"Two days later they brought Karou in kicking, I remember her being dragged to a room at the back and two guys being dragged out with blood flowing from there noses. It was the first thing worth smiling about."

"Yea Karou can get like that when she's mad." Sano added from the corner as he found his phone in his coat pocket and stepped out to call Yahiko

"I suppose we'll all have to leave town now. They won't let us live after this." Sae said her head sinking.

"I wouldn't worry about them any more. We got …lucky… in our timing, As me and Tsubame left another group was arriving and they were not friendly, I think protection money will be the least of Mr Gohei worries." I said from my spot by the wall.

I didn't want to tell them that everyone in that building was dead, or soon to be dead. They'd hear about it on the news soon enough. Probably under the title "Murder on the Dance Floor" or words to that effect.

I just hoped we were out of it.

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Sorry to end on a place like this, but I felt I had to get another chapter out after the last one, I wasn't very happy with it but it got everything told in one. I know Sae and Tai and twins but I wanted names for restaurant owners and I needed two women.

I hope people like this chapter better, if so review, if not tell me. Is the story still good? I've tried to keep it moving I hope I've succeeded.

Until Next time


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